


Dare To Love

by dragonlywriting



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy is Sexy, Drunken Confessions, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Idiots in Love, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Smut, Truth or Dare, Veritaserum, idiots to lovers, shameless flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:40:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28613739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonlywriting/pseuds/dragonlywriting
Summary: One can’t always wait for the perfect moment. Sometimes you have to dare to do it (or, in their case,get daredto do it), because life is too short to wait and wonder what could have been.It’s the Christmas holidays, and the Slytherins and Gryffindors come together for a game of truth or dare. What turns will a drunken game night take? Do they dare to bare their secrets? Do they dare to take the fall and let their feelings get uncovered? Will those idiots finally see what their friends have seen all along?An Eighth Year Hogwarts Story
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson/Harry Potter
Comments: 51
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there,  
> this is my first story ever and I'm super excited to hear your thoughts!  
> I'm usually just doing art so I hope you guys like it anyways.
> 
> If you want to chat or hang out, you can find me here  
> [My Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CJtqC1hHYPZ/?igshid=1bqbpd5zhsmgi)  
> [My Tumblr](https://dragonlyart.tumblr.com/)

Going back to Hogwarts finally felt like how Hermione always imagined it should feel. After all those years fighting against trolls, giant spiders, Dementors, and Voldemort, Hogwarts was at last, the home she had always wished for. Now, she was finally able to concentrate on her schoolwork and spend time with her friends. She felt like she deserved the time to just be herself and spend her time in the library preparing essays long before they were due. It hadn't even occurred to her to not return for the eighth year. It wasn’t like she needed to return, considering the many job offers she got after becoming the Golden Girl and War Hero. But she didn’t want to jump into work without having finished her N.E.W.T.s. She hadn’t worked her arse off during the last seven years for nothing.

For Harry, the decision was almost as easy as it was for her. He, too, returned for his last year. The Ministry asked him more than once to join the Auror Program, but he wanted to have a normal school year without having to save the world. 

* * *

_Five months ago, at the Burrow_

_Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at the table, having just finished their breakfast when three owls came flying through the window. There was a flurry of movement as they dropped off a letter for each of them, and then the owls were gone as quickly as they’d come._

_“It’s a letter from Hogwarts,” Hermione squealed excitedly. “McGonagall is creating a class for all the students who wanted to finish their last year and take their NEWTs!”_

_“Oh, no, no, no,” Ron said, pushing the letter away from him. “N.E.W.T.s are the last thing I want to do after the war. George offered me to work with him at the joke shop. I think I’d rather go with that,” Ron said. “I finally found something I’m great at, you know? He said that I’m a natural at advertising and promoting the shop. He needs my help, anyway, after all that has happened. I really think this might be it for me. I hope you both will understand if I decide not to return.” He wouldn’t look them in the eyes._

_After Fred’s death, George had been inconsolable. It had taken him some time, but he eventually decided to keep the shop going because it had always been their biggest dream. Not to mention that seeing other people laugh had always been George’s greatest source of happiness. Given the opportunity to work with his brother and carry on Fred’s legacy, Ron had found where he belonged that summer. Returning to writing essays didn’t make sense for him._

_That’s why Hermione didn’t hesitate when answering, “Ron, don’t worry. We understand and support you. It’s just that it will be hard after all this time. It was always the three of us, and it won’t be the same without you there. But after all that we went through, you deserve to do what makes you happy.”_

_Ron’s relief after hearing Hermione’s words was obvious. He released a deep breath, “Thank you, ‘Mione. And you, Harry? You wanna work for the Ministry and start your Auror career?”_

_Harry had been silent the whole time, looking like he was contemplating a million scenarios. “You know what? I think I want to go back to Hogwarts. I want to be stressed about N.E.W.T.s and not about finding Horcruxes. I want to start my essays way too late and regret doing it when I get an ‘Acceptable.’ I want to break the rules and cause trouble just for the sake of it. Every year, I had to fight something or lose someone, and I’m SO sick of it.” Harry looked exhausted, but his eyes held a spark of anticipation. “For once, I just want to be ordinary. I want to learn and complain about it. I want to date the girl I like without having to fear a stupid no-nose bastard will kill her. I’m just so sick of fighting. I don’t want to start Auror training yet. I don’t want to fight. I just want to be,” Harry said, a little breathless._

_A comfortable silence wrapped around them, absorbing what Harry had just said._

_After a few minutes, Hermione threw herself at him and hugged him. “Oh, Harry! I’m so proud of you and so happy you’ll go back with me.” She embraced him tighter. “Whether you like it, Harry, you are an extraordinary wizard and an even better friend. I’ll be nagging you to start the homework on time, and you know I’ll never let you get an ‘Acceptable.’” She pulled back from him, chuckling. Her eyes were wet, but her chest was full of warmth._

_“I’ll miss you guys, you know?” Ron said, standing there a little awkwardly._

_He looked uncomfortable, and Hermione smiled in spite of herself. Being sentimental had never been his forte. He did have the emotional range of a teaspoon, after all._

_“Oh, come here, you idiot!” Hermione said. She pulled Ron and Harry into a big group hug, feeling lighter than she had for a long time._

* * *

Hermione liked to think back to that moment regularly. Harry had never had the chance to be a normal teenage boy, whose biggest problem would either be not submitting homework by the deadline or having girl trouble. He’d never had the time to just be a boy who was nervous about asking the girl he liked on a date. It was finally his chance, and Hermione was glad he felt ready to take it. 

It hadn’t worked out between Ginny and Harry after the war. They’d both felt more comfortable as friends than anything else. It had ended up for the best, however, as the three of them were now the new Gryffindor Trio.

Along with Hermione and Harry, some other students had come back for their eighth year as well, including Neville, Seamus, and Dean. Slytherins like Theo Nott, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson had returned too. Pansy being one of the biggest surprises of them all. 

Because of the eighth-year students returning along with the normal crowd, there were more people attending school than usual. For this reason, all the eighth-years had been assigned to a single dormitory when they first arrived, regardless of house. When explaining the decision, Headmistress McGonagall had told them she wanted them to be role models who showed the younger students that house unity was important. All that had led to Pansy apologising to Harry one weekend when they were all in The Three Broomsticks. 

After drinking some liquid courage (AKA Firewhisky), Pansy had asked Harry if they could talk privately. She’d apologised for wanting to turn him over to Voldemort when he showed up at Hogwarts, explaining that she was scared for her and her loved ones’ safety, and admitted that she’d been raised with the wrong beliefs. The confession had led to them talking for hours, well after Ginny and Hermione had said their goodbyes leaving them alone at The Three Broomsticks. They each layed out their vulnerabilities to one another. Hermione had badgered the blushing Harry into telling her about his talk with Pansy and admitting that the night had ended in an unforeseen kiss between them, his eyes lighting up at the memory. 

Ever since that night, they’d been inseparable. Hermione was grateful that Ginny seemed happy for the two of them because against all odds, Pansy brought out the best in Harry. He was happy—happier than Hermione had ever seen him, and had a constant, infectious smile on his face. Although they’d come from opposite sides, they helped each other sort through the aftermath of the war, recognizing and healing each other’s scars. 

Ginny had asked Hermione once if it bothered her that Harry was healing without them because he seemed lighter and more himself for the first time in months. Harry hadn’t been able to talk to either of them about the war—he’d usually excuse himself, change the subject, or brood silently while they spoke about it. Hermione had responded with the truth: that she didn’t mind, as long as he found _someone_ he could open up to. Against all expectations, he’d found that person in Pansy. She was the only one he was able to talk about the war with, and Hermione was thankful for that.

However, their unexpected relationship had led to the three of them becoming friendly with the Slytherin gang—albeit grudgingly, at least on Hermione’s and Ginny’s part. This meant that Hermione had to spend even more time with Draco _bloody_ Malfoy. In most classes, the professors assigned them together almost every time because Draco was a close second to Hermione. They fit together perfectly, at least intellectually. In the beginning, Hermione had taken advantage of the fact that she was being paired with someone of equal ability. She wanted to excel in her classes, so she’d given him a chance. But her patience with his constant proximity was running out. 

It would have been tolerable if it weren’t for the fact that they always had to sit so closely together. She could always smell his scent, which was just _unfairly_ good—like soft musk and mahogany, with a hint of sandalwood. The proximity also made her notice the tiny details about him. He bounced his knees when he was nervous. His eyes weren’t completely grey; specks of blue could be seen, like something brighter hidden in the shadows. He was a perfectionist with his potions, and his precision could be seen when preparing the ingredients. He had delicate handwriting, grace and elegance dripping from each curve of his Gs, and— _oh god, she refused to start thinking about his hands and all the places she wanted them to be, and the things she wanted him to do to her with those hands—_

No. She absolutely would _not_ think about those things. Calling them “wrong” was an understatement—they were plain sinful. Even though they were acquaintances, perhaps even friends, he would never think of her that way. 

Her discomfort had grown exponentially over the last several days, thanks to a stupid, irresponsible, and fucking _hot_ dream she’d had of him. Now she couldn’t think of anything or anyone else. Every time she looked at him, her imagination would flash with pictures of his toned body, writhing above her, doing ungodly things to her, and before she knew it she’d turn as red as a tomato. 

As if sitting together in almost every class wasn’t enough, they ended up next to each other almost every time they hung out with their friends. Pansy and Harry sat together, for obvious reasons; Theo and Blaise were the same. Ginny tagged along most times with Luna, which left her and Malfoy. Everyone partnered off eventually, leaving the two of them alone. 

Sometimes Hermione suspected Ginny and Luna left her with Malfoy on purpose, but accusing them would mean acknowledging her discomfort, which was out of the question. So Hermione simply suffered through it. She was usually quite confident and could articulate her thoughts perfectly, but there was something about him that just made her knees weak and turned her brain into a useless mess. It was nearly two months into Hermione’s little problem, and although she’d resolved to put it to rest by the year’s end, it only seemed to be getting worse. 

The whole friend group was staying in Hogwarts over Christmas, mostly because quite a lot of them had nothing to go home to. Winter holidays had just started, and the girls were planning a drunk game night in the eighth-year common room to celebrate. Of course, Hermione would be excited to spend a fun night with her girlfriends— but it wouldn’t be just them. Still, she knew them well enough to know that she had no choice in the matter. Ginny and Pansy wouldn’t accept a no from her, no matter how much she wanted to curl up on the couch in front of the fire and read the new book on Transfiguration. 

Considering that she’d be drunk, in close vicinity to Malfoy, and in all probability picturing him naked, it was safe to say that she was a little scared. The copious amounts of alcohol would definitely lower her inhibitions. She definitely didn’t trust her drunk self enough to not jump his bones right then and there if he so much as breathed in her direction. So all that brought her to where she was now: sitting in the middle of Pansy’s room with her stomach in knots, wearing nothing but a towel. Because of course, the girls had decided they wanted to help her get ready for the night. 

“No offense, Granger, but you have to admit that your closet is all trash.” Pansy arched a critical eyebrow at her. 

Hermione scowled. “My closet is just fine, Pansy!” 

“There’s not one item of clothing here which might be suitable for the occasion,” said Pansy with a roll of her eyes. “Ergo, trash.” 

“‘Suitable?’ What do you mean, ‘occasion?’” 

Pansy shrugged and went back to shuffling through her closet. Ginny averted her eyes, suddenly making herself busy. Hermione huffed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. 

As it turned out, in Pansy’s dictionary, “suitable” apparently meant showing far more skin than Hermione usually did. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her body. She felt quite confident in it, now that she had grown into her curves. She usually just didn’t take the time to “sex herself up,” as Ginny liked to call it. When she demanded to know why in Merlin’s beard she needed to “sex herself up,” Ginny gave a bright grin and claimed that it would be “exciting—something new for a change.” But Pansy turned away to hide a snigger, and Hermione had the nagging feeling that there was an agenda in the room that everyone else was aware of but her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin you guys, I'm speechless! Thank you to everyone who left a kudos and comments. I'm so happy you guys enjoyed my first story. I was so nervous to post this. Now have fun with chapter 2!
> 
> If you want to chat or hang out, you can find me here  
> [My Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CJtqC1hHYPZ/?igshid=1bqbpd5zhsmgi)  
> [My Tumblr](https://dragonlyart.tumblr.com/)

“So, I heard you agreed to let us help you get ready? Perfect, I already have a great idea for that crazy hair of yours ‘Mione!” Ginny said excitedly entering the room where Pansy had begun to collect all the makeup she could find. It seemed like she had bought a whole store.

“It’s not like I had a choice with all your meddling,” Hermione answered, rolling her eyes and hiding her smile.

“Just you wait, Granger. When Draco won’t be able to keep his eyes off of you, you will be as grateful as you should be,” Pansy said nonchalantly.

“I- What- Pansy, what are you talking about?” Hermione asked, a blush creeping up on her face. “One, I can dress up myself just fine! Secondly, I’m not trying to impress Draco. Even if I was, it’s not like he’d be interested in me that way. We’re just friends.”

“Friends.” Pansy scoffed. “Friends who are always undressing each other with their eyes. If that’s your definition of friends then I believe you,” she said, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head. She was starting to fix Hermione’s brows which were thankfully easier to tame than her hair. 

“Oh please, Mione. Are you serious? He isn’t interested in you in that way? I could cut the sexual tension between you too with a knife!” Ginny said while working on charming her hair into smooth curls.

At that moment Luna chose to enter Pansy’s room. She stopped for a moment, watching Hermione. After seating herself on the bed, she asked “ Hello, friends. Hermione, your head is filled with wrackspurts.” 

Pansy just arched an eyebrow to that, slowly getting used to Luna's way of seeing the world. Ginny added, smirking, “That’s because she is trying to deny that she totally has the hots for Malfoy!” She gave Hermione the side eye.

“Oh, that makes sense. Draco Malfoy has wrackspurts all around his head too!” Luna answered dreamily, playing with her radish earrings.

“Yes, Granger, listen to what Luna has to say,” Pansy said, finishing the last touches of her make up and putting a charm on it so it’ll last the whole evening. Hermione sighed at the look of extreme satisfaction on Pansy’s face. “Done. Now next, something alluring to wear to make his jaw drop. Lets see…” Pansy was already turning to her wardrobe. 

“Not only will his jaw be dropping, hopefully his pants too,” Ginny added laughing, while she finished putting the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion in her hair.

Hermione scowled. “You two, stop it with the teasing. He would never-“

“Oh, ‘Mione. You should stop it. Either you’re blind as the dragon you rode out of Gringotts or you’re deliberately ignoring that this guy is head over heels for you. I don't know which would be worse. Anyway, how could he not be attracted to you? you’re an intelligent and attractive young witch. Nobody would be mad about you giving him a chance. I mean have you _looked_ at him? Malfoy is a fucking snack, Hermione. I had always thought he was rather pretty, but he definitely grew into his body,” Ginny told her, waggling her eyebrows at her.

“She’s right. Harry’s hot and I love him more than anything, but have you looked at Draco? Have you seen his jaw line?” Pansy asked, still searching her closet for the right outfit.

They were right, of course. Malfoy was more than easy to look at. The last few months they had spent hours together in the library preparing for essays or doing projects had proven that. Not only that, they talked for hours on end and it had slowly turned into a friendship. He told her how he grew up, what it was liking being raised in a pureblood family. He wanted to know all about Hermione’s childhood growing up as a muggle. They were even thrown out of the library once for laughing too loud, after Hermione told him about her first magical accident when she was a little girl. 

It happened when her parents told her she had had enough candies for the day. Because of them being dentists she was only allowed to eat a small number of sweets. Being stubborn and wanting more, she got mad and threw a tantrum. Shortly after, it started raining bonbons and chocolate in their living room. Under the dumbfounded stare of her parents, Hermione started running through their living room trying to catch as many sweets as she could get.

It took some time until Draco was this open with her. In the beginning she did most of the talking, but he started telling her glimpses of his life too. Once he started, it was like a dam was broken and they couldn’t seem to stop talking. Sometimes Hermione felt like Draco filled up her whole freetime. She didn’t mind one bit. She enjoyed his company. She felt carefree with him and he made her laugh more often than not. Everytime he presented her with a little smile or smirk of his own, she felt proud of achieving that. Draco didn’t smile often. Ever since his return for the last year he always looked serious, like he was afraid someone would come around the corner calling him a Deatheater. 

But afterwards, Draco even opened up to her about the war and apologized more than once for his role in it. He regretted choosing the wrong side, even though Hermione told him repeatedly that he was just a boy raised with a wrong view of the world and always trying to impress his father. All this new information made it even harder for Hermione to control her feelings for him. If he would've continued being a mean boy, she could’ve at least told herself that the attraction was only based on his looks. Now she had to admit to herself that she was not only attracted to his looks, but his, his intelligence, his humour. All those traits made him even more attractive to her. An attraction and feelings she couldn’t ignore much longer. She was afraid of accepting that and fearing his rejection, and all this talk about him liking her back, just got her hopes up too high.

Hence, she tried distracting Ginny. “You’re one to talk, you’re the one drooling over Zabini all the time”.

“Well, he _is_ hot, I’m not denying that, but his ego is so big, it fills up the whole room. That’s not really sexy now, is it?” Ginny tried to say casually, but the light red blush on her cheeks told Hermione all she needed to know.

“SO, back to the topic. First put on some sexy underwear,” Pansy told her, giving her a matching set of black lace. 

Battling with Pansy about clothes was not a fight she was going to win. 

“I have the _perfect outfit_ for you, Granger,” Pansy told her, punctuating every word with an item of clothing thrown at her.

She conceded to her fate and tried on the clothes without even looking at them. Not that she would admit it to Pansy, but this girl _did_ have a good taste in clothing. Once she finished putting on the clothes, she turned to look into the mirror.

Hermione gaped at herself “I- wow- I like it.”

Pansy placed her hand on her heart, putting on a faux shocked expression. “Were you doubting my abilities? I’m hurt, Granger.”

Pansy had chosen a Slytherin green blouse for her that showed a good amount of cleavage and matched it with a black skirt that stopped at mid-thigh. Her hair looked beautiful too. It flowed down Hermione's back in big waves and she wore just a natural touch of make-up, with some slightly darker lips than usual.

“Pop up the first buttons of the blouse so tall, blonde, and handsome can see what you’re wearing underneath,” Pansy told her with a wink. “Now that my work here is done, I gotta go. I promised Harry I’d help with cutting his hair.” With that she left them in her room, to search for Harry.

Ginny walked in a circle around her to evaluate her outfit “Damn, Hermione, look at you. You clean up nicely. He won’t know where to look first.”

“You look exceptionally pretty Hermione, though you always look beautiful,” Luna told her with a kind smile.

Hermione chose to ignore the other girls' hints at Draco and answered Luna. “Thank you, that’s really sweet of you”.

She opened the buttons of her blouse anyway, for the Christmas spirit she tried telling herself. For Christmas and not because she wanted the tall, sexy, and intelligent man to get as distracted by her, like she did for him.

* * *

“So Draco, you want me to cast some mistletoes over you and Granger today?” Blaise asked him with a wink, bringing his whiskey glass to his lips.

The three of them were lounging in Theo’s room, waiting for the girls to get ready and meet them in their common room.

“Shut it, Blaise, we’re just friends,” Draco answered, looking at the glass in his hand, to hide his blush. The both of them were hinting more and more about his relationship with Granger. He didn’t deserve her, and being reminded at every opportunity was starting to annoy him.

Theo snorted at that, “Pfft, just friends. That’s the reason you had to run from the great hall with a boner at the beginning of the school year?”

* * *

_3 month ago, Dinner in the Great Hall_

_“Merlin, I can’t believe her. She wants us to work on this arithmancy project every free minute,” Draco told them, poking his food. “I’m spending more time in the damn library than in my room. She doesn’t even listen to me. She is always bossing everyone around, with her crazy hair and tight shirts an-”_

_“Mate, if she is that bossy in class, can you imagine how bloody bossy she must be in the bedroom?” Theo asked, interrupting Draco’s rambling._

_Draco choked on his pumpkin juice. Yes, thank you, he could definitely imagine how bossy she probably is in the bedroom, while lying on top of him, biting his neck- fuck he had to stop thinking about that in the dining hall. He was never gladder for his cloak that now hid his growing erection._

_“You okay there, Draco?” Blaise asked with a knowing glint in his eyes._

_“Yeah, I- I think I just remembered that my mother wanted me to send her an owl before the holidays start. So, I just gotta go- go to the owlery real quick, see you in the common room”. More like going under a cold shower really quick to forget his thoughts of Granger and her wild hair and her beautiful brown eyes._

_He ran more than walked out of the great hall, leaving his laughing friends behind. “He is oblivious that he’s obvious,” Blaise said to Theo._

_“So, boys, what did I miss? What had Draco running faster than a hippogriff can fly?” Pansy asked while seating herself in Draco's place._

_“Oh, he probably just went to go wank while thinking of Granger. You finished snogging Potter in every alcove?” Theo answered her._

_Pansy rolled her eyes “So nothing new about that one then. And you're being jealous again because you’re not getting any poor Blaise?”_

* * *

“I did no such thing, Theo,” Draco was fast to answer, not wanting to be reminded of the pictures of her in his head.

Lately his thoughts drove to her more often than not. He enjoyed her daily company. She made him feel lighter, when she looked at him with her big brown eyes. He loved seeing her dimples appear everytime he made her laugh. His goal was to make her laugh as much as he could. He never thought that she would be so willing to forgive him nor would he have believed a year ago that they would become so close friends.

He should be glad that they were friends. Yet, everytime he heard or thought the word, he felt himself grimacing. At some point, referring to and loving her as a friend had started to hurt. He wanted more. 

He was in love. 

And he hated it. Hated the fact that he wasn't worthy enough to be in love with her and that she would never see him as more than a friend. So he wouldn't act on his feelings and he wouldn't tell anyone about it. But he could live with that. He definitely could live a life where Hermione Granger was a part in. Even if that was just as friends.

“Once you’ve finished daydreaming about your girlfriend, we should meet up with the girls for game night in the common room, Draco,” Blaise said, chuckling lowly and waiting for him at the door.

Theo joined Blaise enthusiastically. “Finally, let’s go get drunk mates! I’ve got a blonde angel to woo tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you + many hugs and kisses go to [Black Phoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Phoenix24/profile) and [dayofclamor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayofclamor/profile). You guys are the best! <3  
> Any remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> The game night will finally start in the next chapter. I can't wait to share *that* with you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there *hides in shame*  
> I‘m sorry it took me so long to update this one.  
> I hope to post the next chapter sooner.  
> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments on the last chapter! I appreciate it so much.  
> Now have fun with the game night!

“Well, hello ladies, don’t you all just look absolutely stunning?” He heard Theo say to the girls who were entering the common room for the game night. Draco couldn’t even acknowledge the other girls, his focus was solely on Hermione.

He always thought she looked beautiful but seeing her in a Slytherin coloured blouse and a skirt shorter than usual, showing her long smooth legs, did things to his insides. He loved when her hair was left flowing freely down her back. She usually wore it up, because according to her, hair that wild, when left to its own devices, was not practical. It took every bit of control for him to not openly gawk at her.

“Like what you see, Malfoy?” Ginny asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes, bringing him out of his thoughts. Well, it seemed he wasn‘t as good at hiding his expressions as he would like to be. Hermione had noticed his staring too because she blushed even though she tried to hide it by looking down at the floor. She was probably embarrassed by his behavior. 

Damn it, he should get a hold of his feelings, especially with everyone around to notice.

He was saved from answering because Pansy and Potter chose this moment to show up. “We’re here! Let the fun begin. Everyone sit down in a circle, we’re playing Truth and Dare tonight. Theo, would you be a doll and please explain the rules?” Pansy said, waving for the others to follow her to sit on the pillows she just conjured. She sat so close to Potter that she might as well be sitting in his lap.

Luna sat down next to Pansy and Theo was quick to follow her. Draco sat next to him. His heart started to beat a little faster when he saw that Hermione chose to sit next to him, smiling shyly at him.

“Hey,” he whispered to her.

“Hi,” she finally looked him in the eyes, a small smile gracing her features.

“You look beautiful.” He tried to hold himself back, but who could blame him when she looked like that?

* * *

“So do you— erm, handsome, I mean.” 

_ Real smooth, Hermione. Real smooth. _

She was stuttering like a fourteen-year-old but he  _ did _ look especially good today. Draco was wearing a navy blue shirt that brought out his eyes even more, with light grey trousers. Good Godric, it just wasn’t fair to look that good.

She snapped out of her reverie when Theo started, “So about the rules. After every Truth or completed Dare, you have to drink a shot of the firewhiskey that Blaise was so nice to get us.” He waved to Blaise who bowed down with a flourish on his seat next to Ginny.

“Because no one here is boring, I _hope_ , you have to do every Truth and Dare,” he continued. “If you feel like you just can’t do it, I’m _sure_ we will find a suitable punishment. Goal of the game is to get drunk, have some fun, and learn some dirty little secrets for blackmail purposes,” he finished with a wink and a wicked smile. Draco glared to which Theo let out a little laugh. “I’m only joking, fear not little Dragon,” he said, raising his firewhiskey glass to them. “Cheers. May we have an eventful night.” He looked like he was up to no good which turned her into a bundle of nervousness. 

_ Why in the name of Merlin did I agree to play with these snakes? _

Everyone clinked their glasses together. She would never get used to the burn the firewhiskey left in her throat, but the feeling of lightness and carefreeness afterward made it worth it.

“So, first round I’ll go easy,” Pansy started. “Hmm, how about you, Draco dear.” she arched an eyebrow at him. Hermione saw him rolling back his shoulders and fixing his posture in the corner of her eye. It made him look as calm and composed as humanly possible. “Truth or dare?”

“I'm not ready to strip yet, so I’ll take Truth,” he answered begrudgingly.  _ Oh, dear Godric.  _ Hermione’s eyes widened once she realized stripping definitely sounded like something Pansy would pull off sooner than later.

Pansy laughed, “You're giving me ideas here. What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told your parents?” She asked him while leaning back in Harry's arms and lifting a perfect eyebrow.

“Well— I guess— Every time I told them that I think muggle-borns are worthless, that we’re superior, that I believed in the cause they followed. That I was proud to be a part of their circle, and that I didn’t hate my father for forcing me into th—” he put a shaking hand on his mouth and his eyes widened in shock. 

“Oi Mate, that’s a way to turn it serious. You okay?” Blaise asked with a confused face.

“I didn’t want to say that. I— Theo! What did you put in the fucking drinks?”

“Oops, Veritaserum. Didn’t want a boring night,” he shrugged as if it would be the most obvious thing in the world. ”Good to see it’s working though.” He looked like he didn’t regret it one bit.

_ Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no _ … How would she survive an evening of Truth or Dare, seated next to Draco with  _ Veritaserum  _ in her system? “Theo, you can’t be serious! The least you could’ve done is tell us before you dozed us with a fucking  _ truth potion _ !”

“Oh, the Golden Girl has a dirty mouth. See, we’re already getting to know much more about each other. Isn’t that nice?” Theo said with a smug look on his face.

“Come on, guys. It’s just us. There are no outsiders here. We all drank the whiskey so the playing field is level. Let's loosen up a bit and be a little more honest than usual,” Pansy said, trying to smooth down the situation.

“I’m with Pansy,” Ginny said, giving the group a confident look. “Let’s go. Come on, Draco, your turn.”

“Fine,” Draco answered beside her. “But don’t you think I’ll forget your little stunt here, Theodore!” He grumpily took the shot for his answered Truth. 

“Weasley.” He pointed at Ginny. “Since you’re such a brave little Gryffindor, why don’t you prove it by giving our friend Blaise here, a hickey? Something for him to remember the night by. I'm sure he’ll enjoy it,” he finished looking rather proud of himself.

Hermione knew Ginny and Draco formed a weird friendship bond over the last month too. One consisting of making fun and annoying each other that Hermione couldn’t fully understand. So she knew playing Truth and Dare with both of them would make up for an interesting night.

“Wow Malfoy, rather creative tonight now, are we? And two, you didn’t ask Truth or Dare. But fine,” she sighed dramatically. ”If you want a show, you get a show,” she said, turning to Blaise and rolling her eyes at the smirk he gave her. 

Clearly, he was excited at the prospect of what was about to happen. If Hermione hadn’t known Ginny for years, she would conclude that Ginny was annoyed. But being friends with someone for years comes with knowing their mannerisms and the ability to pick up hints about what’s going on on the inside, and Ginny seemed delighted to indulge. 

* * *

“I feel like I’m the winner in this situation,” Blaise said, looking rather smug. “Come now, Weasley, do your best.”

Ginny pretended to be irritated but her heart was beating erratically, excitedly. She climbed between his legs to get a better angle at his neck. She placed one hand on his broad shoulder to steady herself and one on his neck, fisting his hair to bring him closer to her face. Looking him in the eye, Ginny could see the slight dilation of his pupils.

With one last look into his eyes, she brought her mouth to his neck. She licked the juncture where his neck met his shoulder and heard him take a sharp breath. She smirked and scraped her teeth at the place again. His hands grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him into his lap. Well, he did tell her to do her best and damn Merlin if she wouldn’t make him remember his words. 

After exploring what made his breathing quicken, she moved closer to him and bit the spot that elicited the best reaction out of him. A low moan escaped him and she felt a hot feeling spread through her body, especially in her lower belly. She began sucking, while simultaneously licking the place and heard another growl erupt from his throat. His hands went from her waist to her arse. A shiver ran down her spine. 

She was getting rather flustered herself, barely being able to hold herself back from pressing her centre against his. Before she gave fully into the feeling, she gave his neck one last kiss and pulled back rather reluctantly. A dark bruise was forming where she just had her lips and somehow seeing her mark on his neck made her want to mark his whole body.

She looked back into his green eyes, which usually reminded her of a light spring day, had now turned into a dark and dangerous forest green. She channeled all her nonchalance and lifted a single eyebrow “What are your hands doing on my arse, Zabini?” 

Grinning from ear to ear, he cooly answered her, “It was an accident, it’s not like I did it on purpose!” putting on a mocking offended look. 

“Well, if it’s an accident, what are they still doing on my arse?” 

He chuckled and grabbed her even tighter. “Well, I guess, it still is an accident. I know you like my hands on your beautiful arse.” 

That she couldn’t deny, but he and his ego didn’t need to know that.

“You guys finished or do you need to get a room?” Draco asked with an arched eyebrow, bringing them back out of their little bubble.

“You wanted a show, you got a show, Malfoy,” Ginny answered him, seating herself back on her pillow. 

* * *

_ And a show it was _ , Hermione thought. She didn’t like to admit it herself but watching them, with Blaise’s hands on Ginny's arse, made her think about someone else who could get his hands on her arse. It was the whiskey that was making her feel hot and  _ not _ the display she just saw. Ginny took her shot of firewhiskey and looked around the room. Her eyes landed on Hermione. 

“Okay, ‘Mione, your turn. Truth or Dare?” she heard Ginny ask. After that Dare, she felt safer going with the truth.

“Truth.”

“Okay, name the most attractive thing about every person in this room,” Ginny said with a devilish glint in her eyes and a smirk ghosting over her lips.

It could always be worse. Hermione tried to access the situation and start with someone other than Draco to save her face a little longer. She found almost everything about him way too attractive.  _ Oh no the serum- _

“I like your hair!” she blurted out, looking at Ginny, “I love the colour; it looks fiery and it suits your personality perfectly.” she finished smiling at Ginny, who was blushing a bit but looking grateful.

“Fine, Zabini, I like your confidence, even though it borders on being arrogant sometimes, I find that your most attractive feature.”

“Why thank you Golden Girl,” he answered her with his signature cocky smile.

“Uhh— Harry, right, okay I can’t find anything about you attractive because you are like my brother and that is just really weird. But I love your compassion, especially for your friends and family and I’m grateful to be one of them.”

“I— Wow— Mione, thank you. I’m grateful for you too.”

“Pansy, what about you? Oh, definitely your boobs— oops, damn, truth serum,” Hermione said, blushing slightly.

“Well, plus one on the boobs. They  _ are  _ really great,” Harry jumped in waggling his eyebrows. Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s antics.

“Luna, I love the way you see the world and your ability to see people for who they are.”

“That’s very kind of you to say, Hermione.” Luna looked at her lovingly.

“Nott, your most attractive trait would be your humor, I guess. You’re quite funny and I never would’ve admitted that out loud if not for the little stunt you pulled today,” she finished, rolling her eyes at him.

Theo looked rather smug. “Oh, believe me, Princess, I’ll never let you forget your words.”

“So, Draco—“

“Does anyone have popcorn, I feel like we’re in for a treat,” she heard Blaise whisper conspiratorially to the rest of the group.

Good Godric, Draco was already looking at her expectedly with his light blue eyes. This wouldn’t end well.

“What I find most attractive— I mean— I— everything. Ug— I mean— Your dark mark...” she stopped her blabbering and put her head in her hands, thoroughly embarrassed.

Draco looked astounded. “My dark mark? But why?” he asked confused.

“It’s just— It shows how much you’ve grown and changed. It’s a representation of your journey and how determined you were to overcome all the obstacles and be the man you are now. I’m proud of that and I see it as proof that even though you grew up with nothing but prejudice, you still chose the lighter side.”

“But it took becoming a Death Eater to realise that,” he looked down and the atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.

“Someone important to me once said that the world isn’t split between good and bad. We’ve all got light and dark inside of us, all of us, even me, as hard as it may be to believe.” She smiled, trying to defuse the tension. Taking his hand into her much smaller one, she squeezed gently. “What matters is what path you chose to act on. You chose the right one now, Draco, and I love you for that— I mean— Can someone please stop my rambling? Fucking serum...” she tried to finish, looking at her friends for help.

* * *

_ She loves me? Of course not, she probably just loves me as a friend. She is saying that to Potter and Ginny all the time. Don’t get your fucking hopes up.  _ Draco berated himself for it but he couldn’t help but hope.

Realizing they were still holding hands, he gave her knuckles one last stroke, “Thank you, this means a lot coming from you,” he blurted out.

He saw Hermione taking her shot of Firewhiskey and contorting her face at the taste of it. She looked so cute, with her little nose all scrunched up like that. The alcohol was making it even harder than usual to not think about her while she looked as beautiful as ever right next to him, with blushing cheeks and a dreamy smile.

A few more rounds of that ridiculous game passed and Draco considered himself lucky that he didn’t have to make a spectacle of himself again. Hermione went easy on him, daring him to wear a Santa hat for a few rounds because Harry and Hermione told him it fit his hair. That was as bad as it got though, but seeing her laugh and look at him like that was worth it.

Blaise dared Theo to swap clothes with Luna, and now, Theo was sitting in Luna’s transfigured jeans to make them fit and a cute flowery blouse.

“This really suits your personality, Theo,” Pansy wheezed between laughter.

Meanwhile, Theo was only looking at Luna who was twirling in Theo’s massive shirt that was almost as long as her dress. He asked if he should transfigure it so it would fit better. She said she liked feeling comfy in it and just left the big trousers out altogether. Theo didn’t seem to mind. The opposite actually, from the way he was looking at her.

Trying to find her seat again, Luna tripped and landed gracefully in Theo’s arms. 

“So, Luna, I see you finally fell for me and my good looks,” he said smugly while helping her into a seating position.

“I don’t like you only because of the way you look, Theodore. There is more to you, although you look good too,” she said with a thoughtful look on her face, leaving Theo staring at her dumbfounded.

Next was Pansy who was dared to give her boyfriend a lap dance. It must have been  _ pretty  _ good because it ended with them having a snog session until everyone sent them somewhere private.

That left the six of them to play. Everyone was now a bit tipsy after so many rounds. Blaise and Theo had to kiss each other after a round of spin the bottle. “Never knew you were such a good kisser Blaise, darling,” Theo said, making a show of his exaggerated swooning. 

“You too, my honey bunny,” Blaise answered, throwing him a kiss and wink.

“Okay, Draco, it’s your turn again,” Blaise said.

Draco chose a Dare, having spilt enough things for one night.

“I dare you to do a tequila shot, but not from a glass. I’m sure it will taste better off of our dear Golden Girl. Salt on her neck and lime between her lips,” he finished, looking mischievously at them both.

They both froze and gaped at him. 

“You can’t be serious. This is my dare, but— that’s just almost as much Hermione’s now— You—“ Draco stuttered. 

“It’s okay, Draco. They all had to do funny things before. Let’s just do it,” she looked at him, blushing furiously already.

She swept her hair away from her neck, sprinkling some salt in its place and sliding the lime between her lips. Sitting between her legs Draco looked at her one last time for her confirmation. She felt the air crackling between them and the tension growing. The anticipation was almost growing unbearable. She gave him a small nod. He started licking the salt in the juncture of her neck and tangled his hands in her hair, grabbing it to give him better access. 

He could stop there. He  _ should  _ stop there, but feeling her curls in his hands, soft as silk, and the shudder running through her body— he simply couldn’t.

He grazed his teeth lightly at her pulse point and heard a small moan escape her lips. Merlin, how long he wanted to hear those sounds from her. Draco grabbed her waist and sat her so she was straddling his lap. He kissed a path to her earlobe, growling when she accidentally pressed her centre right where he needed her. The vibration of his growl made her shudder, pressing her even tighter against him. He now moved to her lips, taking the lime from her mouth with his teeth, tequila shot long forgotten as he put the lime away and tasted her lips for the first time. Expecting her to push him away any second now.

His lips moved, hesitating against her at first, giving her the chance to stop him at any point. But Hermione only put her hands in his hair and brought him closer, if that was even possible. Draco pressed his lips harder into hers, his tongue running over, begging for entrance and she let him in. Draco wasn’t able to hold back a groan once their tongues finally met.

* * *

As if on instinct, she rubbed her centre against his growing erection. She felt heat pool in her belly that now had nothing to do with the booze in her and was all because she was finally doing what she had wanted to for  _ months _ . Her body was pressed flush against his and his hands just started to slide lower to her arse when she heard Ginny wolf-whistle.

“Damn, ‘Mione, not that that wasn‘t  _ hot _ , but if you want to continue, I feel like you two should get damn a room,” she finished laughing.

They broke apart and looked at each other, still panting. Draco’s usually light blue eyes were now almost as dark as the night sky, swallowed by his pupils. She gave him one last smile and went back to her seat. When she saw how he had to right himself,  _ because of her _ , she blushed even more. Once he composed himself again, he took his shot and looked around. 

“Theo, Truth or Dare? What do you choose,” Draco asked, still blushing beautifully.

He chose Truth. 

“If you had to choose between going about your usual day naked or having your thoughts appear in thought bubbles above your head for everyone to read, which would you choose?” Draco asked him.

“Obviously I’d choose to go naked. I have nothing to hide down there. Maybe I’d even impress some Ravenclaws,” he told the group winking at Luna.

“Of course you’d choose that. Guys always think with their little brain instead of their big one,” Hermione murmured to which Draco chuckled.  _ Merlin, she loved the sound of his laugh. _

“Oh, I assure you guys, it’s not little,” Theo answered, downing the last of the whiskey.

“Last round, your turn Granger, do you choose Truth or will you be a brave little Gryffindor and do the last Dare of the night?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Never one to back down from a challenge, especially not with the liquid courage in her, Hermione chose Dare.

“I dare you to spend the night in Draco’s room,” Theo finished proudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The biggest thank you and hugs go out to these super girls being patient with me and saving my grammar yet again. You’re the best! [Black_Phoenix24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Phoenix24/profile) ,  
> [dayofclamor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayofclamor/profile)  
>  and [Amarillis39](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amarillis39/pseuds/Amarillis39)
> 
> I couldn't have done it without you.

**Author's Note:**

> My first and biggest THANK YOU goes to my alpha [Black_Phoenix24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Phoenix24/profile) for collecting ideas with me and being my biggest cheerleader and supporter. I couldn't have done it without you.
> 
> Thank you to [raven_maiden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raven_maiden/profile) for prereading this story and always encouraging and supporting me. YOU ARE AN ANGEL.
> 
> Also big hug and thank you to my betas, for helping me with all my Grammar.  
> [dayofclamor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayofclamor/profile) and [rhysenne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhysenne/profile)


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